Coupling and method of making same



Oct. 1, 1940. J, FENTRESS 2,216,686 f COUPLING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed May '7, 1956 /7/621. 11 J3 l l HIIIIIIII -IIII Patented Oct. l, 1940v PATENT OFFICE 2,216,686 i ooUruNG AND ME'rnon oF MAKING SAME James Fentress, HubbardWoods, Ill., assignor to Chicago Metal Hose Corporation, Maywood, Ill.,

a corporation of Illinois Application May '1,` 1336, sensi No, '18,501-

Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved coupling for flexible conduits or hose, and to the method of assembling the coupling upon the hose end. More particularly, the invention relates to that type of coupling which is adapted to be contracted into gripping engagement with the hose body.

It is an object of the invention toproduce a coupling forvfiexible conduits or hose which is constructed of a minimum number of' parts and which may be secured upon the hose end with a minimum number of operations, and .yet which seals the hose tothe coupling in a manner which renders the joint therebetween impervious to the most searching fluids even when sub' jected to high pressure.

It is a further object to produce a fluid-tight connection for flexible hose in which no Welding or soldering of the coupling v,parts is necessary,

.20 and in which no packing is required. The coupling of the present invention may be very readily applied to the hose end', the end` being sealedV during the application in a manner which insures a permanent, dura-ble, and positive fluidtight joint. More speciiically it is an object to produce a coupling of the contraction type wherein the operation of contracting the coupling sleeve upon the hose body automatically positions the end .30 of the hose to facilitate the .production of a permanent and huid-tight joint at the hose end as the complementary coupling parts are ar- In accordance` ranged in assembled relation. with the invention the coupling body is provided .86 with an annular recess into which the hose end is automatically positioned as thecoupling sleeve iscontracted about the hose. This automatic positioning of the hose end dispenses withspecial manipulation of the hose parts and at the same -40 time insures that the end may be gripped and clamped tightly against the coupling body whereby to insure the production of an effective fluid and pressure tight seal.

Other objects and advantages of the invention 45 will be apparent from the following speciilcation when taken in connection' with the accompanying drawing wherein certain preferred embodiments are illustrated.

In the drawing, wherein like reference nu- 5 0 merals refer to like parts throughout;

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main coupling body4 showing the' hose or flexible conduit as arranged therein prior to the contraction of the coupling sleeve.

5:5 Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken.`

along the line 2-2 of'Figure 3 illustrating one means for contracting the coupling sleeve about the hose body.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views illustrating the several coupling parts and the manner of their 5 assembly. Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 illustrating the contracting of the coupling sleeve into gripping engagement with the hose. Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the washer which is adapted to be clamped against the hose 10 end, and Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the companion coupling member or stud which is adapted to be threaded into themain coupling body. I

Figure' 6 is a sectional view through the com- 15 pleted coupling.

Figure 7 is a view illustrating an alternate method of contracting the coupling sleeve into" gripping engagement wtih the hose.

Figure 8 .is a longitudinal sectional view showgo ing the coupling as applied to a modied form of flexible conduit, and

Figure 9 is a similar view showing the main coupling,body as applied to still another form of compressible conduit or hose. 25

Referring first to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, it will be seen ythat the embodiment of Ythe invention there set forth for purposesof illus-'i 'tration comprises a main coupling metal body llihaving a cylindrical sleeve Il extending. therefrom and into which the end of the hose or flexible conduit l2 is adapted to be loosely inserted asA shown in Figure 1. The hose in this instance may be of any suitable material, such for example as rubber, fabric, Cellophane, or the v3g; like, with or without metal braid; and it may be of multiple construction, as shown, or of 'a single thickness wall. I t is to be understood that'the coupling of the present invention andthe method of assembling it are welladapted for use with 40 various types of exible hose or tubing, including so-called iiexible metal hose as will later'appear, and are not to be taken as limited to hose of particular materials. The sleeve Il has formed on its interiorsurface a series of projections or scrrations i3 to facilitate the gripping of the exterior surface vrof vthe hose.v These projections may'conveniently take the forni of a' series of annular ridges or a lcontinuous helical screwl thread, or they may comprise any sort of suit-'.50

able sharp'proiections which will bite into the hose body. 'I'he coupling body is interiorly threaded as indicated at I4. A cylindrical metallic nipple I5 is adapted to be tted'loosely into the hose end.

In assembling the coupling, after the hose end has been arranged within the sleeve II andthe nipple I5 in'turn arranged within the hose, as

shown in Figure 1, the sleeve is contracted into gripping engagement with the exterior surface of the hose. This contracting operation may be conveniently carried out by the means, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. As shown, the couwith the exterior hose surface. The extreme end jections or teeth I3 into tight biting engagement portions I1 of the hose extend into an annular chamber I8 formed interiorly of the coupling adjacent the inner end of the sleeve II. As the sleeve is contracted about the hose, the unconfined end portions I1 thereof flex radially outwardly, as indicated in Figure 3, into the annular coupling chamber I8. This action takes place automatically as-an incident to the sleeve` contraction due to the shaping and arrangement of the parts, and it 4will take place whether the hose is made of a single layer of material o r of multiple layers. During the sleeve contraction, a vertical Wall I9 isformed in the chamber I8 at the end of the threaded sleeve. The nipple I5 acts to support the hose body as the coupling sleeve I I is contracted, thus clamping the hose wall tightly between the nipple and the coupling sleeve projection's.

After the coupling sleeve has been'contracted about the hose, the washer 2li, Fig. 4, is fitted over the end 2l of the nipple I5. The threaded end portion 22 ofthe companion coupling member or coupling stud 23, Fig. 5, is then brought into threaded engagement with the threads Il of the main coupling body. As the coupling stud is threaded into seated posi-tion within the main coupling body, the washer is brought into tight sealing engagement against the end I1 of the hose as illustrated in Figure 6. VThe hose end by the same operation is also brought into tight sealing engagement against the wall I9 of the 'annular chamber I8. The hose end is thus secured in a fluid-tight seal between the washer 20 and the wall I9 which will be impervious to the most searching fluids. Where the projections I3 on the inner surface of the coupling sleeve take the form of a series of annular ridges, a series of further seals is produced between the sleeve and the exterior surface of the hose where each annular ridge bites into the hose wall.

It will be noted that the sleeve accordingly provides a hose receiving bore consisting of the axially extended serrated section I3 and the annular coupling chamber I8. This bore in the instant embodiment extends therefore from the inner extremity of the nipple receiving portion I4 to the opposite end of the sleeve. It will be noted that this bore between its two ends isof annular accordingly, is of generally cylindrical shape as form for receiving the end of a tubularv hose and,

23 threaded into assembled relation. the hose end 1o will be firmly clamped in a sealing position. It is unnecessary to manipulate the extreme Yhose end after the sleeve is contracted asthe end is automatically positioned as an incident to the contracting operation. It is also unnecessary to spar- 15 ticularly arrange the hose end with respect tothe washer 20 due to the fact that the end has been automatically turned outwardly as the coupling sleeve is contracted. As a result the hose end assumes the proper sealing position with respect 20 to the washer as the latter is brought into clampping position. ylt is merely necessary toinsert the washer into the hose body and thread the coupling stud into position. Not only is the hose end sealed in a fluid-tight joint, but due to the fact 25 that the end is positively clamped between the washer 2li and the wall I 9 on the coupling body, a joint is secured which will withstand considerable pressure and which will aid the projections Il in maintaining the hose in fixed and proper posi- 30 tion within the coupling body. There is no thickening of the hose wall, but the end portion thereof is permanently and positively clamped in position in a fluid-tight seal. No welding or solldering is necessary and no packing. is required. 35

The joint may be -freely disassembled for the purpose of inserting various types of coupling studs. If desired, the projection 2l oi' the companion coupling member or stud 23 may be screw-threaded to facilitate its connectionwith a second couu pling or the like. In Figure Iy there is illustrated an alternate means-for contracting the coupling sleeve into engagement with the 'compressible conduit or hose. In this -instance a split die composed of two'complementary sections 28 and 2'I separable along theA line A-A is employed. In employing this Iform of the invention the complementarydie sections are brought into engagement around the hose body after the hose end has been arranged n within the coupling sleeve asin the first described embodiment ofthe invention. .The die members are then moved axially of the'coupling sleeve in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure '1.

The-die members 26 Aand 21 have a conical suru face 28 formed at their forward ends, and vduring the axial movement of the die members, thi conical surface causes the contraction of the coupling sleeve-about the hose. The die members ,may thereafter be separated and the contracted coupling removed. The washer 2l and the com- .o

panion coupling stud 23 are then inserted into the coupling body as previously described.

In Figure 8 the coupling of the invention is shown applied to a flexible metalhose or conduit' ofthe corrugated -tubing type. As illustrated, the hose in this instance comprises a metal tube 3l corrugated throughout its length.A Thecorrugstions may be helical, as illustrated, or annular. The tube 3l is enclosed within a cover member )I 7 which may include metal braid as well as a'brous body` material. 'I'he coupling parts and their manner of assembly are the same as previously described. In this instance it is to be noted that while the cover member 3| will be automatically 1g turned radially outwardly as the coupling sleeve is contracted, whereby it maybe rmly clamped between .the washer and the wall i9 of the coupling, the metal but is compressed into tight engagement with the washer. That is, as the washer is forced into position against the hose end, the corrugated tubing will be compressed axially, and due to its inherent resiliency and strength, will be maintained in tight engagement against the face of the washer. A metal-to-metal seal between the corrugated tubing 30 and the washer is, therefore, provided in addition to the cover member seal. No' inner sleeve member corresponding to the nipple l5 in the ilrst described embodiments of the invention is here provided, the strength of the tubing itself being relied upon to insure the maintenance of the tubing wall in position during the contracting of the coupling sleeve.

In Figure 9 the main coupling body is shown in association with still another form of flexible metal tubing. In this instance the tubing is of the spiral-wound type and comprises a spirallywound metal strip and a covering made up of cover members 36 and 31. The outer cover member 31 may, by way of example, be metal braid and the inner cover member 36 some form of fabric, rubber, Cellophane or the like. In this form of the invention the cover members will be turned radially outwardly as the coupling sleeve Il is contracted, whereby to be sealed between the washer and the wall aI9 of the coupling as previously described. The spiral-wound metal strip 35 will be brought into tight sealing engagement against the washer as in the case of the tube 30 illustrated in Figure 8. In this instance the inner nipple I5 is employed, but it is shorter than the nipple illustrated in Figure 1, ,extending only into the annular chamber i8 of the coupling body.

A It is obvious that various changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the invention shown for purposes of illustration, and in the several method steps of assembly described. For ex ample, it will be seen that the nipple l5 may be shortened, and -incertain instances completely dispensed with if desired. Various means of contracting the coupling sleeve may be employed. The invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise embodiments and method steps illustrated and described, but only as indicated in the following claims.

tube 30 is not turned outwardly,

36 and 31.

applied, `wll clamp The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. The method of making a hose connection which comprises providing a coupling sleeve having a bore of generally cylindrical shape from end to end, inserting a hose into the bore from one end thereof, contracting the sleeve about the hose, lfrom a point removed from the end of the hose toward the hose inserted end of the bore, suiiiciently to grip the hose, to form a Ipronounced shoulder near the end of the hose, and to flare the end of thel hose to overlie the shoulder and be in line with the end of a mating coupling element which, when inserted from the other end of the sleeve, and whenl fully applied, will clamp .the flared hose end between the end of said mating element and the said shoulder and form a seal.

2. The method as dened' in claim 1 including the step of applying said mating element to the sleeve and gripping the said flared hose between said mating element and the shoulder.

3.` The method as deiined in claim 1 including the step of inserting and applying a threaded mating element Within cooperating threads in the said sleeve to clamp the flared hose end against the said shoulder.

4. The method as deiined in claim 1 wherein an inner sleeve ls disposed within said hose during the contracting step. 5. The method of making a hose connection which comprises providing a coupling sleeve having a bore of generally cylindrical shape from end to end, inserting a composite exible conduit comprising an inner metal tube and an outer cover into the bore from one end thereof, contracting the sleeve about the hose from a point removed from the end of the hose toward the hose inserted end of the bore sufciently to grip the hose, to form a pronounced shoulder near the end of the hose and to iiare the end of the said outer cover to overlie the shoulder and be in line with the end of a mating coupling element which, when inserted from .the other end of .the sleeve and fully the ared cover end lbetween the end of said mating element and the said 'against the shoulder while simultaneously axially shoulder and form a seal, and thereafter applying said mating element to clamp the cover end compressing the inner metal .tu-be.

JAMES FENTRESS.

' CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION. A Patent No. 2, 216, 686. A October l, 19'40.

JAH- ES FENTRESS.

it is hereby certified that error appears :in4 the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows: Page 5, second column, line 14.5, claim 5, strike out the words against the shoulder while simultaneously axially and insert the same after ",end? in line )4.7, same claim; and that the said Letters Patent shouid be read with this correetion therein that the same may conform to the record of the' case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of November, A. D. 1911.0.

y Henry Ven Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

